Pune: In a tragic accident on the Nagar-Kalyan Highway near Otur, a collision between an ST bus and a car resulted in the immediate death of two car occupants and injuries to 18 bus passengers.

The incident occurred on Sunday around 10:45 AM in front of Waghire College, within the Otur village limits. Assistant Police Inspector L.G. Thate provided this information.

The deceased have been identified as Mahesh Tanaji Gaikwad (23) from Vidyanagar, Mohol, Solapur, and Pratik Ashok Shirke (22) from Narala Paithan, Sambhajinagar.

The injured bus passengers include Usha Ganesh Mandriwal (50) from Chakan, Mangesh Ramdas Hilam (32) from Dingore, and several others from different regions.

According to reports, the ST bus (MH 14 BT 4280) was en route from Parner to Mumbai Central, while the Maruti Suzuki Brezza car (MH 46 CM 2155) was traveling from Otur to Alephata.

The collision occurred near Waghire College, causing severe damage to the Brezza car and resulting in the bus veering off the road into a ditch. One car occupant died on the spot, while the other succumbed to injuries during treatment.

Upon receiving information about the accident, Otur Assistant Police Inspector L.G. Thate, along with a team including Police Sub-Inspector Ajit Patil and other officers, rushed to the scene.

They facilitated the transport of the injured to Otur Primary Health Center and private hospitals in Alephata. The police also managed the crowd, cleared the accident site, and restored traffic flow.

The ST bus driver Ramesh Vasantrao More and conductor Ashok Madhav Tambe reported the accident to the police. The authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident to determine the exact cause of the collision.